[thatwunguy]

Currently, I own the Klipsch Image x10, Audio-Technica ad700, and Denon ath-d1001k. I use a Fiio E5 to drive them from my MacBook Pro audio out.

My questions is: How much difference will a USB DAC make in my overall sound quality?

I play mostly 320kbs mp3 files.

I have been thinking about getting the NuForce Icon DAC/Amplifier becuase it could power my Insignia Bass Reflex bookshelf speaker and act as a DAC.

Basically, should I try to get a DAC or would the improvement be small?

 

[Nick 214]

Well, changing you music to a higher bitrate, or even lossless (ALAC, FLAC) would be free, and a huge increase in your audio quality.

 

[stevieo]

mp3 is a problem in & of itself. lossy files do not sound good. go up to a lossless format & see if that makes you happy.

i personally do not like the sound card in my mac book pro even with lossless & used a usb headroom mini dac & went to an apogee duet with fw400 dac & use it only as a dac. but there are plenty of dacs out there.

 

[Currawong]

You may have trouble hearing the difference between 320k and lossless to be honest. The first USB DAC I bought, which was a Core Move (mk1) portable headphone amp I felt made no difference at all to the sound quality. However, the jump to an Apogee Duet made a significant difference, though at the time I had very expensive headphones with which I could easily notice any improvement.

 

[thatwunguy]

thanks for the help guys, you pretty much just convinced me to re-rip my music to lossless instead of getting a DAC. For the tracks I have tested, I can tell a difference between lossless and 320. The lossless just sounds more real and "shimmery" that's the best way I can describe it. I don't have the money for an Apogee right now or any other high quality DAC. I am not going to Spend $200 if I won't get, what I consider, a $200 difference.

I'll replace my outdated/underpowered aiwa 5.1 receiver with a higher power/quality Denon stereo receiver. I think I'll benefit much more from that upgrade because I have a great pair of 3-way kenwood floorstanding speakers from Japan.

 

[Bigjppop]

To add more fuel to the fire, I felt (and still feel) that my Yulong DAH1 made a HUGE difference in the sound straight out of my laptop. I was really pretty shocked. Check out some of the Chinese USB amp/DAC combos (I like the Yulong but I'm sure there are others). You should be able to find something in your price range.

 

[-=Germania=-]

A external DAC will likely get rid of the static or floor noise you hear from a sound card.

The truth is that he inside of your computer is a RF and physically noisy place with lots of interference. I have the Auzen which is supposed to be really good analog outs and guess what? I use an external DAC which is fed by the high quality digital output of the Auzen.

Your files are fine for those headphones, though re-ripping is always a good idea.

For a combo type situation I would suggest getting:

USB DAC+Headphone Amplifier(PCM2707+DIR9001+PCM1793) - eBay (item 300297634142 end time Mar-31-09 21:02:24 PDT)

and

Indeed Class T Amp Integrated Amplifier Tripath TA2024 - eBay (item 250381266485 end time Mar-07-09 05:20:12 PST)

they MATCH, Appear to be industructable and fulfill your needs on both ends for less than the Icon.


If you have SPDIF, I would suggest the Zhaolu instead. The amount of upgrades you can do on this thing scan really bring it to compete with the big boys!


If you have questions or anything you want to discuss, please PM me.

 

[mudhole]

I just bought a AlienDAC (the cheapest usb DAC I can found.) from a head-fier. I find the SQ improvement is significant . Then I start thinking about a better DAC now. I (and my wife) hate this forum more and more.

 

[krmathis]

You should definitely check out an external DAC. The improvements should be very noticeable and hopefully well worth it.
Going lossless, instead of those MP3 files (lossy) will improve further.. :=)

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatwunguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Currently, I own the Klipsch Image x10, Audio-Technica ad700, and Denon ath-d1001k. I use a Fiio E5 to drive them from my MacBook Pro audio out. My questions is: How much difference will a USB DAC make in my overall sound quality? I play mostly 320kbs mp3 files. I have been thinking about getting the NuForce Icon DAC/Amplifier becuase it could power my Insignia Bass Reflex bookshelf speaker and act as a DAC. Basically, should I try to get a DAC or would the improvement be small?

Your 320 mp3s are fine. The difference between them and lossless are inaudible. I personally don't believe anyone who says they can hear the difference. Doesn't mean I don't have lossless though.

Like you I just used my headphones casually for a while and got myself a Amp/DAC. AD900s didn't need any added amplification. But having an Amp that has complete black silence or distortion improved my music immensely. But I think the biggest difference I can attribute to my music change is the DAC.

The amplifier and headphones are only as good as the DAC you use. External USB DAC, if it's a good one, will be much better than your fruity soundcard

 

[thatwunguy]

well just when I thought I had made up my mind, a bunch of people go and voice some opposing opinions... gotta love this hobby... so I guess i will need to do some more research.

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatwunguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif well just when I thought I had made up my mind, a bunch of people go and voice some opposing opinions... gotta love this hobby... so I guess i will need to do some more research.

Yep and trust your own ears. Headphones are very personal right? Have fun.

 

[lowlevelowl]

I saw a difference in sound quality that was definitely noticeable. I haven't heard the Icon Mobile but owners seem satisfied in its own thread over on the portable amps forum.

You may also want to look into one of Hotaudio's USB DACs. The Supreme and Mark IV are buffered and should be powerful enough to drive many headphones without needing an additional amp. Also, iBasso's amp DAC combos get good reviews here as well. I'm happy with my Supreme and think it makes a great entry level DAC using the PCM2702 chip (same DAC chip found in high rated portable units like the XM5).

 

[darwinshardhat]

most of my home listening is off of a Mac Powerbook and I can tell you with total certainty you will hear a difference with a decent external DAC and if you already have cans and a headphone amp you are happy with, then this is the next logical step. It will make more of a difference than re-encoding your music... and will make you want to do that anyway. When I re-encoded from 320K to Lossless I didn't hear a noticeable difference in sound quality per say but did feel the sound stage and very subtle details in both instruments and voices had more definition and depth to them, and complex music passages were resolved a little better. I recently bought the VALAB USB NOS DAC and the difference is huge. It was only $200. I don't strongly recommend it though due to the QC issues I keep reading about but FWIW I haven't had any trouble with mine. There are quite a few choices at from $100-400 that are highly regarded, and they even turn up in the for sale area here on head-fi regularly.

 

[Juaquin]

Laptop "sound cards" are the worst. They are built directly onto the motherboard (or into the chipset itself), which leads to massive amounts of EM radiation. There's very little shielding inside the laptop, and with all those parts so close together you get a very crude signal. I had a laptop where you would hear a series of "squeaks" every 4-5 seconds, continuously. Never could figure that one out.

Build a BantamDAC for less than $40, see how you like it.